Elysium
by The Red Mages
Summary: Without a word, he left without a trace. I need to get him back, if that's the last thing I do. ByaRen, with other pairings such as KyoUki, IchiIshi/Ruki triangle.
1. The Missing Captain

**Elysium**

**Pairing: **Byakuya/Renji, What seems like a Ichigo/Rukia, Shunsui/Ukitake  
**Rating: **NC-17/M (Will be next chapter. lol)  
**Authors:** Hikarinimichitasora/Kazezakura  
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Kazezakura: Hello everyone~! Oh wow first evar proper collab fic! It's so exciting! 3 XD I get to write with like one of my fave authors! =D Chapters get written faster when two are working on it lol Also first Bleach fic! It feels speshul! Wow! I never realised I like Kyoraku so much till now w w w Anyway! I hope you like it! Tell us what you think ^_~_

_Hikarinimichitasora: Hi everyone! This is our collaborative work and I hope you enjoy it! We certainly had fun writing it!_ _Next chapter will come along soon, just got to finish finals season first!_

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**~Chapter One~**

Sweat ran down his spine, making his _nagajiban_ cling to his back like a clammy second skin, his hair stuck to the back of his sweat soaked neck. He hadn't had time to tie it back before he'd grabbed himself a _jigokuchou, _so it fell past his shoulders, vivid red against the dark night sky. It was stupid. It was getting in his eyes. He shook his head roughly to somewhat clear his vision, trying to keep up the rapid pace he'd set himself. Racing to the land of the living... Hoping to find that stupid idiot before he got too far. Renji gritted his teeth, his hand resting on Zabimaru, he was sure it could feel his stormy mood as well, it was probably thunder-storming inside his mind. He was going to _kill_ whoever it was that harmed his Captain.

Kill them _**dead**_.

"Renji!" Hisagi Shuuhei shouted and the redhead turned round, it took a moment to realise who it was. He could tell from the look on his face that he'd realised something was wrong immediately. Renji wasn't sure he had the breath to explain what was wrong, the summer heat seemed to be sucking all the oxygen out of the air as he doubled over, swiping at his face to wipe away the sheen of sweat with the sleeve of his kimono. Shuuhei ran over to Renji, which was good because Renji wasn't sure he could continue to run any more. He was fucking _furious_ at the moment and that was all that had kept him going this far.

"Hey man, What's wrong Renji?" Shuuhei asked, brow furrowed in concern. Renji saw him looking around and noticed that in the Division Six building all the lights were on and people were running about. Word had got out then. "Tell me."

"Can't... breathe!" Renji replied, straightening as he took a shuddering deep breath and tried to decide how to phrase it. He decided for bluntness. It was the best and only way for him. His philosophy in life. His lungs burned and he refused to acknowledge any other pain in his chest other than that- it wasn't the time to indulge in feeling anything else.

"It's Captain Kuchiki. He's gone missing!" Renji announced after he was sure his voice wouldn't crack. He took in the shock on Shuuhei's face and looked over that sentence again. "We've got to stop him getting to the land of the living but just keeping up with him is impossible."

"Captain Kuchiki?" His friend seemed totally confused, like a lot of them were at Byakuya's brisk, sudden disappearance. "Why?"

A _jigokuchou_ passed Shuuhei's head, stopping before Renji. He put his hand out for it to land on, watching it's wings flutter nervously. _Yeah, you and me both, butterfly._

"Sixth Division Vice Captain, Abarai Renji. You have been cleared to enter the human world," A female voice announced as large gates materialised before the two men, slowly swinging open. Renji didn't even pause before he began walking towards it, totally ignoring his friends question. He knew the reason. He just didn't want to say. It hurt too much, even if it was selfish to feel that way.

"Renji! Wait!" a female voice shouted. He turned to see Rukia scrambling towards him, her shinigami uniform not quite tied together right, her hair in a tangle and her sandals in her hand. He waited for her to straighten herself out when she reached him, almost falling over trying to tie her waraji. She smoothed over her hair with her hand hastily and adjusted her collar, her worried eyes observing the gate.

"He's somewhere out there?" she asked. Renji didn't look at her.

"Aa."

"...then come on!" she said, adjusting Shirayuki no Osode's positioning at her side. "Pull yourself together, idiot!"

It was quite clear she was nervous too, but she looked slightly more confident than Renji felt. He knew he had to draw strength from her- If Rukia was confident her brother could be saved, he would be. It was almost certain that they'd be able to save him. A hand of hers found itself at the small of Renji's back, and with surprising force he felt himself being pushed roughly through the gate, to the other side.

"Oi! What if you'd pushed me in front of a car huh?" Renji yelled, turning and watching Rukia step calmly through the gate. She just smiled at him and began to survey the place they'd come out.

"This is near Ichigo's," she said as she looked around the dark street, they could hear cicadas trying somewhere nearby, and god, it was perhaps even more humid here then it was in Soul Society. Renji decided to ignore the almost wistful nature her tone took there. He wasn't in any mood to humour Rukia's love interests, or the progression of her love life. Not with his emotional state right now. Even just the subject made his heart ache, and he didn't have time to be drowning in his sorrows. He would do that later. When he knew his Captain was safe again.

"We don't have time to gather Team Kurosaki, Rukia," he pointed out, trying desperately to sense Byakuya's reiatsu in midst of the swathing heat that made the air thick and heavy. He gritted his teeth in frustration. He could feel nothing. Not even a trace.

"What do you mean you have no time to gather us, fool!" a voice from behind them made Renji whirl round to come face to face with a slightly offended looking Ichigo, 7/11 bag in hand with Ishida, Chad and Inoue behind him. So Team Kurosaki were already here, he thought somewhat dryly. Rukia seemed happy though. He saw her face light up and sighed.

_I wonder how long it's going to be before one of them does something stupid to be with the other..._

"Ichigo!" she said, then managed to reign her expression into something more sombre. Renji folded his arms impatiently. He had no time to exchange pleasantries.

"Glad to see _you _look like you're pleased to see us," Ichigo said somewhat sarcastically, though he had a grin on his face as he patted the shinigami on the shoulder. "What's up? Why are you two here?"

"Nii-sama has dissapeared!" Rukia spoke up when Renji didn't say anything after a few moments. Well, he'd let Rukia do the explaining. It suited him well, he was a little scared if he spoke too much too soon it would give away his weaker feelings to the others.

"Waiiit...What? Byakuya? Are you sure about that?" Ichigo stared back at them in shock. "That doesn't sound like him."

Renji's hands were clenched into fists. He wanted nothing more than to _get moving_ already but he wasn't sure which direction to go in. He couldn't sense Byakuya at all and that made him wary. Had the other remained in Soul Society? Renji was certain that he was heading to the real world... He even checked with the Gate Authorisation Control and they had confirmed, a Kuchiki Byakuya had requested and been granted a gate only a few hours ago.

"Nii-sama is... He..." Rukia didn't seem to know how to explain. Renji growled.

"He's an idiot," he replied firmly. A few eyebrows in the group raised at his blunt words. Renji _never_ talked of his Captain in that way. Now they knew something was seriously wrong. "We've got to find him. Trust me, he's in trouble." He dropped his arms from where he was holding them and looked up at Ichigo, waiting for him to either accept the explanation and help or complain, hoping the urgency in his eyes would explain the emotions Renji could not with words.

"But wait..." Ichigo held out a hand as Renji looked as if he was going to disappear in a flurry of shunpo steps any moment. "Are you like, sure he didn't just go somewhere..uh for his own personal matters or something?" he asked cautiously with a frown trying to process the information with what he knew of the man in question. Indeed, Byakuya wasn't like the two redheads, and was usually very reserved and calculated in his actions, and most wouldn't think he would up and leave for any rash or foolish reason. "There must be some reason he-"

"Fuck the reason. It's not fucking important now." Renji snapped irritably cutting Ichigo off.

_Oh great. now everyone's staring at me like I've resurrected into a fucking tutu wearing Menos Grande. With pretty sparkly wings._

"Renji calm down!" Rukia hissed at him from his right. It was easy for her to say. She isn't the one who had- Renji sharply shook his head. He had promised himself not to think about _that_.

"Well, we would think so too, if Nii-sama hadn't left a rather concerning note." Rukia carried on her explanation, not trusting her childhood friend to talk at all now. She had her suspicions as to the reasons for his behaviour but she wasn't going to say something unless Renji told her. It wasn't her place. She knew that.

"Huh? What did it say?" Ichigo asked, as always willing to listen and help one of his friends in need, though to Renji at this moment in time it felt like he was butting in on his business, just a little.

"Shouldn't we talk about this inside somewhere? Not in front of a convenience store, like we are a bunch of high school delinquents with nowhere better to hang out?" Ishida said from behind Ichigo looking quite displeased that now everyone who walked past were staring at them awkwardly, weary of Renji and his shouting and swearing, not to mention he was in a full kimono and hakama get up in midsummer. "I would invite you all to my place as it's nearby however, I don't think we would all fit." Ishida's place was a tiny, typically Japanese, rabbit hutch type affair.

"Yeah...Well.." Ichigo looked stumped aswell, chewing his lip in thought.

"...How about Urahara-san's?" Chad suggested helpfully.

"Yeah, that's actually a great idea," Rukia replied, eyes shining. Renji was happy for her. Really he was.

"Yeah, I'll meet you guys there," he said, getting ready to ditch them all and begin the search. Rukia's hand grabbed his wrist, strong for her small hand.

"No. You are coming with us. Urahara-san might know what we can do," she said firmly, and the look on her face said she would kidou-bind and drag him there if it came to it. Renji stared at her determined face for a few moments. The way she frowned was similar to Byakuya. Had she learned that from him?

"Che. Fine," he growled, pulling his arm out of her grip and refusing to look at any of them.

_Please be safe... Byakuya._

####

"Jushiro-chan..."

A voice whispered softly from behind Ukitake Jushiro, warm breath brushing his earlobe as strong arms wrapped around his waist. Kyoraku Shunsui had positioned himself behind the other man, clearly trying to disturb him from working on his new novel.

"Mmm?" Ukitake, however was quite determined to finish Chapter 6 by the end of the night. He had been meaning to finish it the night before, but a certain someone who was in the same room as him right now had made it impossible. It just wasn't _right_ to be writing children's novels while someone was trying their best to get their mouth round certain parts of your anatomy.

"Ne..." The arms at his waist squeezed a little tighter.

"Mmm?"

"It's not good for you to work so hard you know? Remember what the doctor said?" Kyoraku pointed out. Ukitake sighed and lowered his brush.

"It wouldn't be half as hard work if you weren't so set on distracting me from it," he pointed out as he carefully blotted the paper. He'd learned about computers from the ryoka, but he still preferred to hand write all his books. It didn't seem right unless it was written in his careful handwriting with accompanying sketches in the corners.

"Am I?" Kyoraku asked almost innocently, pressing his cheek against Ukitake's neck. The white-haired Captain shivered as stubble brushed against the sensitive skin.

"Yes, you _are_ distracting me," he laughed, swatting the other over his shoulder. "I have deadlines you know!"

"How? I'm just holding you," the brunette replied as he swiftly avoided Ukitake's hand while still holding him. "Can't the deadline wait till tomorrow?"

"You should go back to your own Division tonight. Don't you have a ton of paper work to sign again?" Ukitake pointed out as he placed the page on the side where all the other finished pages were, before moving onto the next. "If you hold it off any longer, Ise-san's going to really kill you this time."

"Aww but Nanao-chan's so capable, she manages just fine without me~" Kyoraku replied lazily, his lips brushing against Ukitake's neck as he moved his head back to where it had been a few moments ago. "I'm lonely there, Jushiro-chan... Don't send me away..." He was using his kicked puppy voice again. Ukitake sighed patiently.

"Well if you keep that up, I'll tell Ise-san you have been hiding here since yesterday morning," he warned with a small smile as he started the page.

"No! Please don't! She'd kill me for sure!"

"Then are you going to behave?"

"...yes."

Ukitake wasn't too sure how long that promise would last so he started concentrating on the work at hand almost immediately, letting the feel of his lover's warm body pressed up behind him fade to a background sensation. He had even managed to ignore the subtle way the other Captain was groping his body. (Mainly his ass.) It was working until he felt a hand expertly slide between the folds his yukata, a little too late for him to avoid, and tweak a nipple, making his hand that held the brush pause so as not to end up spoiling the page.

"Kyoraku... I'm going to spoil all my hard work if you carry on doing that," he said, feeling Kyoraku's fingertips lightly pinching the trapped flesh before soothingly stroking over it. He let out a quiet gasp and felt the man smile against his neck.

"Then put your brush down, Jushiro-chan," he replied, his voice low. Ukitake looked down at his work, but Kyoraku's lips began to brush against the nape of his neck then so he ended up setting the brush aside in surrender, melting into his lover's arms.

"You're such a bad influence," Ukitake said, probably for the thousandth time. Kyoraku didn't even both to reply, his free hand sweeping Ukitake's hair over one of his shoulders so he could kiss more of his neck. Ukitake closed his eyes, slowly breathing out as the kisses turned into licks, one hand untying the sash that tied Ukitake's yukata easily letting it fall on the floor, before the same hand pushed the two folds of the garment away from each other, exposing pale skin.

"Mmm...Jushiro-chan's so erotic..." Kyoraku purred, using both hands to pull his lover away from the low table, before running a hand up the man's thigh, brushing over his covered groin. A small embarrassed smile came to Ukitake's lips at the comment. They knew each other since what seemed like eternity, but the Eighth Division Captain's playful perverted comments never seemed to fail to get a reaction from him.

"I think you're the only one who thinks so," he replied, his toes curling as Kyoraku stroked along his half-hard cock beneath the fabric. He let out a quiet moan, spreading his legs a little.

"No one else gets to see Jushiro-chan with his cute orgasm face like I do though," Kyoraku was back to teasing and Ukitake felt his blush spread down his neck. He was about to turn around and tackle his fellow captain when he heard footsteps leading to the door and felt an erratic reiatsu signature outside. He accidentally elbowed Kyoraku in the stomach as he scrambled away from him.

Kyoraku made a defeated sound, though he had felt the reiatsu too and didn't complain too much. "Oww...Jushiro-chan..." he whimpered, rubbing his stomach. He was sure strong for one of "Ill health".

"Captain Ukitake Jushiro, Captain Kyoraku Shunsui." So the old man knew they were together. Why did he see through everything? It was creepy, though Ukitake guessed him and Kyoraku both should have known there was no way to hide something so major from a man who was almost their father. Exactly how _long _had he known? Usually he sent separate _jigokuchou_s even if the two were together, but clearly the old man was in too much of a hurry this time to do such shows of discretion. "You are summoned by Head-Captain Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto for an emergency meeting. Please gather immediately, the Gotei 13 require you both." A voice said on the other side of the door. It wasn't even a _jigokuchou_ this time. Something major was up.

"Oh dear...it seems I'll have to be patient..." Ukitake heard his lover sigh as he stood up slowly, picking his hat off the floor nearby to perch on his head. "I wonder what it's about huh? It seems pretty damn serious if Yama Jii-san is calling us both, personally..." Aizen came to both of their minds as they exchanged looks.

"Aahh...how bothersome..."

Ukitake felt more than worried. If this was something to do with Aizen, it was too soon. They had been told there was no way that he could make a move and the preparations to replace squad members killed or fill positions had not yet occurred. Ukitake got to his feet, arranging his clothes into a more precise order and trying to ignore the way his cock was trying to tent in his hakama.

"Don't look so worried. The Soul Society isn't falling down around our ears," Kyoraku said with a reassuring smile as he stood up. Ukitake didn't want to say anything to that. When the Soul Society _had_ been falling down around their ears, he'd been convalescing and had almost allowed a subordinate to die with his carelessness. He wouldn't do so again.

"Let's go, Kyoraku."

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"So let me get this straight... Byakuya thinks your sister is...alive?" Ichigo asked with a frown. The whole gang had sat down at Urahara's store now in a circle on the tatami floor.

"Yes. His note mentioned he couldn't loose her this time.." Ruika replied, this discomfort clearly showing. "He believes she reincarnated..."

The silence in the room was extremely uncomfortable. Ichigo looked so utterly confused.

"But even if she was, she would not retain any of her memories right? It's like she is a new person...isn't it?" Ishida asked carefully, knowing this was all a very sensitive subject.

Renji stared at the floor, trying to pretend this conversation wasn't happening. He didn't want to debate Byakuya's love for Hisana. He didn't want to think about how the Captain had dropped him like an old rag to run away with an old love. Though somewhere in his mind, something told him it was coming. What noble would spend his time seriously with a street dog from Rukongai anyway?

"The why and how doesn't matter. We just need to find him," he pointed out. He saw Rukia turn to him, something like sympathy in her eyes because he refused to believe it was pity. How would it be? She knew nothing of...them.

"Nii-sama... He must know that it isn't _his_ Hisana. When we find him... we might have to convince him to come back with us..." It was clear that by 'convince', Rukia really meant 'fight'. He saw Ichigo's hand twitch slightly and saw Orihime glance at him worriedly. Ichigo had beaten Byakuya before, but that had been a fight that Byakuya himself hadn't truly wanted to win.

"Well then, we just have to go and get him back then right?" Ichigo said after a few moments pause, standing up. "Dunno what's going on in his head, but hell, we gotta try right?" he said glancing over at Renji, giving him a reassuring smile, one that Renji couldn't return.

"I'm sorry to put a damper on everyone's spirits..." Urahara Kisuke's voice cut in from behind them. "But we have a slight, tiny problem."

"W..what?" Renji asked, a sick feeling in his stomach. His nerves made him forget his manners in speech all together.

"We are finding it a little...tricky to trace Captain Kuchiki's reiatsu." The blond man said, sounding a little embarrassed as he scratched his head. "Almost like...he was spirited away. Quite peculiar."

Renji had been afraid of that. He stared down at the floor. He wasn't sure how Byakuya was hiding his reiatsu. He'd only ever heard of Urahara's ability to do it with his cloak or Kenpachi's eye patch that ate his spiritual power. He wasn't sure when Byakuya had learned that ability.

"It must be whoever Captain Kuchiki is with" he deduced. "I'm certain the Captain doesn't have that ability."

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. I get the idea that if he was able to do something like that we'd have seen it."

"Don't think you know everything about Captain Kuchiki just because you beat him once, Kurosaki," Renji warned with a glare.

"H-hey...I was just sayin'..." Ichigo replied defensively, raising his hands in surprise. "What's up with you anyway huh?"

"Do you know something?" Renji snapped back, his temper rising with the situation "I dunno why you have to always get involved in everyone's fucking business Kurosaki."

"...What?" Ichigo sounded like he hadn't heard the other's words right.

"Always butting in like you're a fucking hero or somethin'...it's annoying. Hell, its past fucking annoying! Leave yourself out of this!"

"Hey Renji. I dunno what you think you are on but why the fuck are you talking to me like that?" Ichigo's expression was stormy now as he glared back. "Isn't that saying a bit much?"

"Just sayin' it like it is!" Renji glowered at Ichigo for a moment before getting to his feet. "You know what, I'll find Captain Kuchiki without you."

"Oh yeah, cuz you're Renji the mighty and so much better at finding people than me, or even, all of us!" Ichigo pointed out. Renji growled.

"Shut the fuck up Kurosaki!" he uttered as he took a threatening step toward the orange haired boy, his fists clenched.

"Make me Renji!" The substitute shinigami didn't seem to back down either, stepping up and closing the gap between them. Renji really saw red this time, grabbing a handful of Ichigo's shirt and dragging the shorter boy up.

**"Won't you cut it out?" **

Renji was grabbed from behind with that crazy strength of Rukia's and dragged back rather roughly, making him release Ichigo.

"What's got into you Renji?" Rukia exclaimed now "Why are you being like this? Ichigo's only trying to help us!"

"Don't go defending his busybody attitude just cuz you're into him!" Renji snarled. "What the fuck is it with you? Can't you see his glaring faults or something? Get him involved this whole thing will turn into a massive melodramatic fight. I just want to get the Captain and get the fuck home!"

Rukia had turned bright pink, but she looked mortified at the same time. She clenched her hands into fists.

"Oh what? You upset I gave your little game away huh?" Renji couldn't stop his running mouth. "What's up with you two anyway? If you two fucking like each other why don't you both just go and screw or something instead of openly showing your interests to each other in front of everyone like they give a shit? It pisses me off!"

"Get out, Renji," Ruika said quietly, refusing to look at Ichigo as her face burned a darker pink. Renji stared at her for a few moments before she looked up, eyes furious and swung for him, catching his jaw hard enough for a burst of pain to bloom and his head to snap to the side sharply.

"I said **GET OUT**!"

###

_"My beloved Byakuya... please come to me...find me...quickly..."_

The soft ethereal whisper captivated, gently, softly guiding the black haired man forward.

"Hisana.."

The reiatsu, the scent... yes. It was her.

_"I have missed you, it has been so long..."_


	2. Writing Ability

**Elysium**

**Pairing: **Byakuya/Renji, What seems like a Ichigo/Rukia, Kyoraku/Ukitake  
**Rating: **NC-17/M  
**Authors:** grownupneko / casisgummi

_cassisgummi: =D I am having so much fun writing this 3 Uh...maybe because I know what's gonna happen and all but... w w We have epic plans for this fic. Yes. =D Please let us know what you think by reviewing! - is official review whore ^^; I love Kyoraku/Ukitake. IT'S SO CUTE!_

_Grownupneko: I'm having fun writing. I love Byakuya's role in this chapter and it's only going to get hotter from here! Please support us and drop us a comment or review!_

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**Chapter 2**

Kuchiki Byakuya's residence in Soul Society was, as one would expect, a refined but quite grand affair. Being the head of the Kuchiki clan, this was expected, but even as a fellow head of a noble family, Kyoraku Shunsui was pretty impressed. Especially by the peach tree in the courtyard. (Its blossoms matched his haori pattern). He would have expected a cherry tree, it being Byakuya and all, but the delicate scent was delightful even if it was a _little_ strange it was flowering mid July. He was pretty aware he was standing in the middle of the pebble garden, distorting the immaculate lines some poor housekeeper had painstakingly raked.

He cleared his throat a little and looked across at Ukitake. The other was looking up at the peach blossoms with a calm expression on his face. His eyes fell shut as he caught a branch to smell the flowers before letting it spring back up.

"Jushiro-chan~ We can't get distracted just yet..." Kyoraku warned, glancing around him. He didn't really want to have to fight the Kuchiki elders to be allowed to look around Byakuya's room. He felt it would be better if they just slipped in and out.

"...it seems we are fortunate- no one is home." The white haired man spoke as he opened his eyes to look at the other man. "Shall we go?" Shunsui was already making his way toward the master room, which was usually to the North with these types of houses. After all, he'd learned a lot of the layouts of the old homes when he used to sneak in to see Ukitake.

"Ah...Yama-Jii sure gives us the bothersome tasks... I had things to do on such a nice day..." Kyoraku said wistfully, following Ukitake. He smirked a little as he watched Ukitake's behind through the fine silk of his kimono. "Aa... Could be worse..."

Ukitake glanced behind him, clearly used to the way his lover seemed to always be thinking with his groin. "Keep your mind on the task Shunsui," he said with a small smile. Kyoraku tucked his hands into his sleeves.

"I can't help it if Jushiro-chan is so distracting~ He never fails to enthrall me! " he protested. Ukitake's cheeks stained pink a little but he rolled his eyes, lowering his reiatsu even more than it had been as they both crept up onto the wooden outer hallway and slipped inside a sliding door. Jushiro took a moment to blink around in the gloom and Kyoraku did too. It was strange. There was an air of melancholy here. Something stuffy and suffocating and musty. Like a dead person's house that hadn't been aired. Kyoraku looked at the nearest door.

"This one will be Kuchiki-taichou's," Ukitake said firmly and Kyoraku had to agree with him. This aura of death and mourning, hanging heavy in the air like traces of Byakuya's reiatsu.

"No wonder Byakuya's a little cracked," Kyoraku joked, his voice barely above a whisper. Ukitake shook his head sadly.

They seemed to have guessed right.

The room was immaculate, as one would expect from Byakuya. It was furnished with antique, expensive looking pine furniture, the black lacquer with a very luxurious looking shine to it. Rows of books were at one bookshelf on the other side of the room, most looking as if unread. Did this guy just have stuff like this to...look smart? Shunsui's eyes scanned around the room as he thought to himself. How suffocating was it to live in a place like this? It was like a museum instead of a home. Shunsui himself had always hated it, and had done his best to skilfully dodge the commitment, responsibility and unbelievable amount of stress that came with being head of a family in his youth until he was ready.

As the centuries passed he had learnt to come to terms with it, and he had Jushiro to support him but this man had been forced it upon him from the day he was born with no escape... It made him feel a sort of sympathy for Byakuya he had not really felt before and a kind of understanding for why he may have just broken and disappeared.

"...Shunsui?" His lover's voice broke Kyoraku's thoughts and he blinked, realising he had been staring at the bookcase for a very long time.

"...Are you all right?" There was a questioning look on Ukitake's face.

"Yes, I was just thinking, you know, my beloved Jushirou-chan," he replied as he turned his eyes to the man next to him.

"What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking..." Kyoraku carried on as his eyes moved to the large bed in the corner. He liked it- he was surprised Byakuya didn't just sleep in a futon with how old fashioned everything was. "...That is, a very fine bed. I'm sure Kuchiki-taichou would find it totally amusing if we..." His more serious look slowly morphed into a perverted smirk as he trailed off meaningfully.

"Shunsui!"

Kyoraku folded his arms over his chest, keeping his face straight as if he was suggesting something totally acceptable. "What? Jushirou-chan, I don't think there's anything THAT perverted in what I was saying..." he said thoughtfully. Ukitake turned a little pink but waved his hand at him.

"We are investigating the disappearance of a fellow Captain, Shunsui. Let's not get sidetracked... We need to stay professional. Kuchiki-taichou's life may depend on clues from here!" Ukitake pointed out. Kyoraku conceded the point, but it was still fun to tease.

"I know, Jushiro-chan but still we don't have to be so-" He continued to scan the room, eyes lingering on the bed. He frowned when he saw the corner of something sticking out from underneath the mattress.

"Oh ho... What have we here?" He bent down, tugging the slim book with a dark blue cover out from under the bed. It appeared to be some sort of.. publication of sorts. He stared for a moment. Then a few moments more before he tugged on the string tying the book closed and flicked through it, and one of the brown haired man's eyebrows cocked in amusement at his unexpected find. Now Kyoraku, of course had seen pornography before. He'd even seen more hardcore and explicit stuff than this. However it didn't fit with the image of Kuchiki he had in his mind though. He tilted his head to the side, his expression quite clearly showing his growing amusement.

"What have you-" Ukitake stopped talking and Kyoraku guessed he'd seen what he had found. He heard his lover clear his throat awkwardly. "You should... put that back where you found it."

"This, Jushiro-chan, is Kadokuran's work, I believe..." Kyoraku carried on seeming to ignore the other's words as he flicked through the pages carefully "It's quite rare to find... I personally found it a little... too subtle if you get what I mean..." He opened it at a particularly explicit page involving a ton of red silk rope and two rather effeminate looking young men naked and entwined in the said rope. He held it up to Ukitake with a grin.

"I never would have thought Kuchiki-taichou was into this kind of thing... the man is really, full of surprises isn't he?"

Ukitake's eyes scanned the page and he shifted, looking even more uncomfortable as he realised what the other captain was implying. "Well...it is none of our concern..."

"Ah but it is!" Kyoraku replied "This, I believe sheds more light into this situation, don't you think?" The next page was of a dark red haired young man in mid ecstasy "It tells us something we did not know before! I think we should retain this as evidence!"

Ukitake snatched the book back, closing it and tying the string. "Whether or not Kuchiki-taichou has a penchant for red-heads in... bond..." He stared down at the front cover of the book.

"Abarai Renji... Where is he?" he asked, glancing up at Kyoraku. It took Kyoraku a few moments to catch up and then he glanced around the room.

"A lover's row could have caused this I suppose... Damn, we need Komamura-taichou's nose for sniffing out Abarai-kun's panties in here..." Kyoraku said, taking a few more steps towards the bed. There was nothing so tell-tale as a pair of Abarai's underpants lying around, but there were some coarse, long vivid red hairs underneath one of the pillows upon closer inspection.

"So Abarai was here," Ukitake said, his mouth in a grim line. "I don't like the way this is going..."

"Ah...this is becoming really quite bothersome indeed..." Kyoraku sighed, taking the book off his lovers hand as he looked at the red hair.

"So very bothersome..."

###

Abarai Renji's chest felt like it was going to explode any moment now. It hurt, so, so damn much. Would it ease the pain if he managed to rip his heart out of his chest? Right now it sounded like a decently sensible idea to him. Or maybe he could remove his head from the rest of his body so the ghosts of his memories wouldn't haunt him any longer. Would he even die properly if that happened? Or would he just get sent back to Soul Society to be strung back together?

"Goddamnit..." He clenched his hands into fists. It felt like Byakuya's ghost was torturing him. He thought he heard his voice everywhere, caught glimpses of him out of the corner of his eyes... Only for it to be nothing. No one. Or even worse, his own mind playing tricks on him.  
_  
"Abarai." Kuchiki Byakuya was sat at his desk, his fair face wearing a displeased frown as he looked over the report he had just been handed. "Can you explain to me why there are so many mistakes on this that I can hardly decode it?" Stormy grey eyes looked up as he put down the paper with a sigh, removing his glasses. Renji shifted uncomfortably- this was why he HATED submitting reports._

_"Well... you see taichou..." He felt his mouth dry up a little. He didn't want to admit it-Didn't like having a weakness displayed so thoroughly in front of someone. He didn't want to appear stupid. Specially not in front of this man._

_"Abarai. Write more neatly in future. I can't tell what most of these kanji are even meant to be and you've used far too many hiragana," Byakuya said, drawing his eyebrows together again as he attempted to read further. Renji fisted his hands in his hakama and swallowed, taking a deep shaking breath._

_"Sorry, Kuchiki-taichou. Thing is, I... I don't know how to write."_

_It came out in a rush. Of course he couldn't. They didn't teach you that kind of thing anywhere else. When he had got into the Shinigami Academy he'd learned the basics, but the report writing that was required this far up was beyond him. He struggled with even the basics, lacked the knowledge of most of the characters and was forced to use a difficult calligraphy brush in order to write everything. He was surprised Byakuya had managed to read anything he'd submitted._

_"I... Yes. Rukia could not very well either in the beginning. I remember now," Byakuya said, looking down blankly at the report. Renji could see no judgement there, just something akin to curiosity._

_Renji frowned. As far as he could remember, Rukia could read and write fine..._

_"We can easily fix this trivial problem." Byakuya continued as he looked back up, catching Renji's eyes. It was slightly unnerving to be looked at straight in the eye by this man- it almost felt like Renji had been stripped bare and standing naked before Byakuya._

_"F-fix?" Renji parroted, his nerves and embarrassment making it hard to process his Captain's words properly._

_"If given some tutoring, I am sure your writing skills can become... somewhat legible." Byakuya replied casually, as if it was the most obvious thing to do. "I will arrange for some classes for yourself starting this evening after your duties are finished."_

_Renji stiffened some more at the idea of being humiliated in front of some teacher (Knowing his Captain, it was going to be some posh old man who was going to look him down his nose. Or something like that.) and had to bite his lip so he wouldn't turn down his Captains suggestion._

_"...Is there something wrong, Abarai?" Byakuya asked, quirking his eyebrow up. Renji shook his head._

_"A-ah n-no...Thank you Captain!" he said, almost a little too quickly before bowing sharply to try and hide his inner feelings. He had to become better. He had to become someone that Byakuya could be proud of..._

Renji stared up at the starless night sky. It had been the start of something. Something that had left him more confused than ever. Something that had meant he couldn't look Rukia in the eye any more. Why had he not realised it sooner? Put a stop to it all before this happened? But the question was, would he have stopped it even if he could have?

He looked down at his hands, almost expecting to see traces of ink there from that night. His memories of it were vivid. _Too_ vivid. He could still almost feel the smooth strokes of the brush and the warmth of of a steadying hand...

_He stood outside the door of his 'teacher's' study. He already wanted to baulk. There was nothing to stop him, of course. He could just run away from this problem, the same as he'd been running his entire life from it. But yet... he could imagine Byakuya's disappointment. Or worse, Byakuya would think him stupid._

_He steeled his courage and leaned in to talk into the shouji. "Sorry to intrude. I'm Abarai Renji, Vice Captain of the 6th Division. Kuchiki-taichou made an appointment with you?"_

_"Come in."_

_A voice from the other side said in reply, and Renji slid the door open with a slightly shaking hand. He noticed the tatami was a fine, faint green colour- not because he made it habit to admire people's flooring but because he didn't want to look up, though he knew he would have to eventually. He could already guess what the man would look like; probably a middle aged man with silver hair and a spotless kimono, who probably had a look of disdain on his face at having to teach Rukongai scum like him things he should have learnt centuries ago..._

_"It seems like your timekeeping is poor, whoever you have an appointment with." Byakuya's voice sounded more amused than angry, and the sound of it made Renji look up in shock._

_"T-taichou?" He stared for a moment at Byakuya before he ducked his head in a quick bow, remembering his manners. He looked up again, still a little shocked and his expression probably resembling one of the koi that lived in the stone pond just outside in the gardens. There were still traces of amusement on Byakuya's face, a slight tilt to his lips and a softer look in his eyes. He'd clearly enjoyed surprising Renji. It softened the surprise and made Renji's features relax into a grin._

_Byakuya's appearance was a little of a surprise as well- instead of his usual starched flawless black kimono, hakama and crisp white haori, he was wearing a dusky blue plain kimono made of fine brushed silk, his hair free of its usual Kenseikan ornaments and for some reason, there was an air of relaxation around him that Renji had never seen before. Kuchiki Byakuya seemed almost normal. It eased a little of Renji's nerves, and some of the strain in his shoulders relaxed as a hand went up to his own hair, pushing back stray strands out of habit._

_"Okay, Taichou. You know I'm rubbish already. I guess it won't be so bad..." he said. Byakuya nodded and gestured to a writing desk where tools had already been left out. Renji swallowed and sat down a little nervously before it. The white page in front of him suddenly felt ominous, terrifying, like the bone-white of a Hollow mask. If only it was as it would probably have been less frightening. Renji knew how to fight, to defeat hollows. He didn't know how to tackle this, however._

_"Start with something simple, Abarai. Like your name," Byakuya instructed. Renji nodded and picked up the brush, dipping it into the ink and nervously starting to write. Byakuya studied his movements carefully and it made Renji more and more hesitant. He ended up leaving a massive ink splot at one point._

_"Your stroke order is... atrocious." Even though the comment itself was cold, with the tone they were spoken in it didn't seem like such a bad thing._

_"Uh... sorry... I ...am kinna bad at remembering the order and stuff..." Renji mumbled._

_"And when writing with a brush, you do not press so hard. You will spoil both the brush and paper. Lighter when you start, and move more fluidly."_

_Renji nodded, moving the weight holding the paper in place away to get a new piece and try again. He really wasn't sure he was getting any better at this as the second attempt seemed to be worse- what the fuck did "Moving fluidly" mean anyway?_

_He didn't even notice his Captain's reiatsu until he felt the faint warmth of the other's body much closer than he could ever recall as the older man took Renji's hand as the other hand moved the second paper away._

_"Lighter. Like this." Byakuya's tone was strangely gentle as he guided Renji's hand, the brush hardly touching the paper at first, before sliding across effortlessly._

_Renji felt his cheeks heat up as all the hairs on the back of his neck rose. He could feel Byakuya's breath ghosting against it and when Byakuya let go of his hand he was so distracted he didn't even realise he should still be moving it. He heard a chuckle._

_"Abarai. You've ruined the third attempt too," Byakuya said lightly. Renji looked down to see a blot had appeared on what had otherwise been a pretty good attempt. "Let's try writing something else. Something more complicated so you can concentrate just on your brush work..."_

_Byakuya took the brush from him, his movements seeming to capture that 'fluidity' that the man had spoken of. The kanji appeared, beautiful black lines against the white. Renji stared at it for a few moments once Byakuya was done. __情__...? Renji stared down at it for a few moments, trying to remember the reading. It wasn't one he used in his reports that was for sure._

_"What's that one, taichou?" he asked, blinking down at the kanji. Byakuya drew back from him._

_"It is what you seem to be abundant in, Abarai." Came the vague answer. Now how was the stroke order for this? To be honest Renji didn't have a clue... He started to write, simply guessing (and he knew already it was probably wrong) and it was sad to say, but the finished result looked nothing like his Captain's example._

_"A..ah..." Renji put down the brush as he realised he had soaked through the other sheets of paper below the one he was writing on, pretty much making it impossible to write on. The ink had even seeped down to the fine pine table, and now there were black dots on it._

_**Shit shit shit shit **_

_"Fuck..I mean... I'm sorry taichou!" Even Renji knew that Sumi ink was impossible to get out of any surface, and judging by how posh the rest of the room was, it was probably a very expensive table he had just ruined...oh god, how many months, hell, years worth of his wages was that?_

_"It seems we have... run out of paper..." Byakuya said, staring at the table. Renji waited for him to say something more, but Byakuya didn't. He instead remained silent, looking down at the spots of ink with a thoughtful look on his face._

_"Hold out your hand," he ordered finally. Renji reluctantly did so, wondering if the Captain was going to chop it off for being such a terrible writer. He closed his eyes, waiting for something painful, but they shot open again when he felt something cool brush softly over his palm._

_His eyes snapped open as he looked at his palm. In Byakuya's gentle calligraphy the kanji was being written. Each swipe was burnt into Renji's memory. Each brush stroke made something in his gut tingle. Byakuya finally moved the brush away._

_"Do you need me to write it again or did you see the stroke order this time?" Byakuya asked. Renji swallowed, trying to clear his throat. He remembered every brush stroke but..._

_"I think one more time..." he said, aware he was lying. Byakuya seemed to know too, but he didn't say anything, merely starting the kanji again on the sensitive skin of Renji's wrist. It sent shivers down the redhead's spine, the way the slick wet hairs licked at his skin, making his breath catch as he inhaled slowly, suddenly very aware of his own heartbeat picking up pace rather rapidly. he hoped to all the gods in the world that the black haired man next to him didn't notice too somehow. If the noble had noticed, he didn't say anything as he pulled away._

_"Some homework for you, Abarai. Learn that kanji before we meet for your next lesson."_

_Renji could only nod in reply._

_### _

It was dark, the darkness heavy, cloaking, almost suffocating. Was someone there? Byakuya wasn't too sure any more. How long had he been here? He didn't know if he even cared any more...but even through the haze, one person seemed burned into his mind and refused to be extinguished by the abyss.

_Abarai..._

_**"You are a creature of sin, aren't you?"**_

The voice spoke to him, as if speaking to the core of his soul.

_**"You have done so much wrong- disappointed all who had faith in you, betrayed them all."**_

"I-"

_**"Do not argue- you have no right to. You do not deserve to after all you have done."**__  
_  
"You refer to Aba-"

**"DO NOT SPEAK HIS NAME HERE!"**

Byakuya let his eyes close against the scream.

_"Hisana... I'm sorry."_


End file.
